Eclipse Aviation



Eclipse Aviation Visit, May 2002



On 17 May 2002, John Fulton and I paid a visit to Eclipse Aviation, to see their Eclipse 500 mockups and to tour the factory. We were guided by Brigid Wainwright, Manager of Customer Relations. These photos all come from their show hangar, which contains a full-size mockup, a cabin and cockpit mockup, the Williams EJ22 engine, and various other exhibits. These exhibits are typically what they take to trade shows. No photos were allowed in the factory area.

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The Eclipse show hangar, May 2002. JBF with Brigid Wainwright, Manager of Customer Relations.
Eclipse show hangar.JPG 		Eclipse 500 mockup, May 2002.
Eclipse overall front 3-4.JPG 		The Williams EJ22 engine, looking at the fan, machined from a single piece of metal.
Eclipse EJ22 profile.JPG
Williams EJ22 engine, JBF looking up its end. The engine produces 770 lbs. of thrust, weighs about 85 pounds, and is only 14 inches in diameter, with over 9:1 thrust/weight ratio.
Eclipse EJ22 JBF profile.JPG 		Eclipse 500 model used for wind tunnel testing. Raburn says the vast majority of testing is being done using fluid dynamics modelling software, minimizing the amount of costly wind tunnel testing they will need.
Eclipse wind tunnel model.JPG 		Eclipse 500 trailing-link landing gear, should make for softer landings. Brigid said they were in the process of changing their gear supplier.
Eclipse trailing link gear.JPG
JBF looking through a fuselage section, built for stress testing the friction-stir welding process.
Eclipse fuse section.JPG 		Eclipse 500 mockup, May 2002. Note the dramatic tapering of the aft fuselage, positioning the engine centerlines only 41 inches apart. The large nose will hold the radar, avionics bay and oxygen bottle; no room for baggage.
Eclipse front 3-4.JPG 		Eclipse 500 mockup.
Eclipse LH exterior.JPG
Tail shot of the Eclipse 500, May 2002. Note the sharp tapering of the aft fuselage and tall tail.
Eclipse rear.JPG 		Eclipse 500 mockup, May 2002, rear 3/4 view.
Eclipse rear 3-4.JPG 		Eclipse 500 airplane cut-away diagram.
Eclipse cut-away poster.JPG
Exterior view of the Eclipse 500 cabin mockup. All the bags shown beneath the tail fit in the baggage compartment (aft of the seats in the cabin).
Eclipse cabin mockup exterior.JPG
Eclipse cabin DAC in Seat 3.JPG 		JBF sitting in Seat 5 of Eclipse 500. Primary baggage space is behind him, on platform raised approx. six inches. Planned options of lavatory and/or refreshment center would occupy part of that baggage space.
Eclipse cabin JBF in Seat 5.JPG
Eclipse 500 cockpit in cabin mockup, May 2002.
Eclipse cockpit.JPG 		The left-hand side of the cockpit, with pilot's PFD and part of MFD in view. Note keyboard beneath PFD. <br><br>Brigid says they just had an industrial design engineer rework the aesthetics of the displays and keyboard mount, and plan to announce more details on the avionics this spring. <br>Sidestick control shown here has only elevator trim switch; engineering simulator and planned production versions will include aileron trim with a &quotcoolie hat" switch.
Eclipse cockpit left seat.JPG 		Eclipse 500 panel, May 2002. New industrial design and other improvements to be introduced Spring and Summer of 2002.<br><br>Autopilot controls are top and center, above the MFD, and include speed settings for auto-throttles, as well as the usual 2D and 3D modes. The guarded annunciator/switches either side of the autopilot controls are engine fire detection and fuel shut-off. <br><br>Note backup attitude indicator, engine instruments, messages and checklists on MFD. The six circuit breakers below the lighting controls are the only physical CBs in the plane. The rest are all electronic CBs, controlled by the FMS.
Eclipse PFDs and MFD.JPG